President asks parliamentarians to keep in touch with people amid coronavirus crisis

Dr Alvi urges lawmakers to help provide rations to poor and implement precautionary measures

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi said on Friday coronavirus pandemic was spreading in Pakistan and reiterated that this global challenge could only be addressed by adopting necessary precautionary measures.

In a letter to members of the National Assembly (MNAs), the president asked the lawmakers to remain in close contact with the people in their respective constituencies, share their grievances in these testing times and raise awareness among them about precautionary measures.

'All measures taken keeping in mind the economically downtrodden'

He also directed them to keep in touch with doctors and paramedical staff, encourage them and do their best to meet their genuine demands. “The poor are suffering because of the lockdown. Play your key role to provide them rations in coordination with the affluent people.”

The president also asked the MNAs to collaborate with district administration and mosque committees for an effective implementation of all the precautionary measures and the 20-point standard operating procedures (SOPs) to contain the spread of Covid-19.